With the recent prevalence of mobile terminals such as cellular phones, various companies have provided communication service. Providers of communication service include Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) and Mobile Virtual Network Operators (MVNOs). Generally, MNOs are companies that have their own facilities for setting up radio access networks, such as base stations. MVNOs are companies that do not have their own facilities such as base stations and that lease facilities from MNOs to deploy service. The MVNOs handle authentication of MVNO users and billing of usage fees but are not responsible for control or the like of base stations.
FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of user authentication and billing involved when mobile terminals 100 (100a, 100b, 100c, and 100d) use a radio access network. In FIG. 1, MS stands for Mobile Station. In the illustrated example, it is assumed that the mobile terminals 100a and 100c are MVNO user terminals and that the mobile terminals 100b and 100d are MNO user terminals. The mobile terminals 100 transmit authentication request messages to an Access Service Network Gateway (ASNGW) 300 serving as a relay device via MNO base stations 200 (200a and 200b) controlled by a MNO. The ASNGW 300 transfers the authentication request messages to a Proxy Authentication Authorization Accounting Server (P-AAA server) 400. The P-AAA server 400 sorts the authentication request messages in accordance with whether each of the mobile terminals 100 is a MNO user terminal or a MVNO user terminal. For example, upon receipt of authentication requests from the mobile terminals 100a and 100c that are MVNO user terminals, the P-AAA server 400 transfers the authentication request messages to a Home Authentication Authorization Accounting (H-AAA) server 500 of a MVNO. The H-AAA server 500 performs authentication of MVNO users and handles charges to MVNO users. On the other hand, the mobile terminals 100b and 100d are mobile terminals 100 of MNO users. Thus, upon receipt of authentication request messages from the mobile terminals 100b and 100d, the P-AAA server 400 transfers the authentication request messages to an H-AAA server 600 of the MNO. The H-AAA server 600 of the MNO performs authentication of MNO users and charging to MNO users.
In the related art, for example, Japanese National Publication of International Patent Application No. 2005-539462 describes a radio network control device having independent resource controllers for each operator. It is discussed that the resource controllers allocate radio resource to a subscriber unit in response to an operator ID associated with a service of the subscriber unit so that different qualities of service are achieved for different operators. Furthermore, for example, Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 2007-235495 discusses a base station control device including a database for registering accessible areas for each operator ID of a mobile terminal. In addition, for example, Japanese National Publication of International Patent Application No. 2003-534714 discusses a network including a network element that stores a list of selectable network elements. It is discussed that this list is accessed using an identifier for identifying a routing area, a location area, or the like.
As described above, the authentication request messages transmitted from the mobile terminals 100 are sorted by the P-AAA server 400 of the MNO to the H-AAA servers 500 and 600 of the operators that provide service to the mobile terminals 100. Thus, it may be difficult for the MVNO to perform authentication or billing related processing using information other than the information sent from the mobile terminals 100 to the P-AAA server 400 of the MNO. The MVNO is not enabled to customize authentication or billing related method as desired.